Amandine Dugon

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Character Design

Children

Nature

Retro

Girl balancing pencil on upper lip with playful expression

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Girl with glasses hugging a large brown dog happily

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Watercolor painting of a young woman resting, eyes closed, by Amandine Dugon

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Couple riding a bike on a grassy dirt path under blue sky

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Cherry blossom tree with pink flowers and teddy bear on green grass

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The London-based French illustrator develops her characters through character studies - and transforms them into striking illustrations.

With fun and plenty of entertainment!

The secret to Amandine’s success might just be the amount of consideration she gives to who each character is in every image. “I make a list of adjectives that will help me create their physical and psychological aspects – all the little things that define an individual. It helps create a connection between them and the environment around them,” she says. Each composition Amandine conjures has multiple layers, and as you gaze you gradually discover there’s more to the scene and more to the story than you thought. Studying art history at Poitier and illustration at L’Ecole Pivaut in Nantes, she has a strong background in classical painting, and also draws inspiration from Mable Lucie Atwell, Carl Larsson and Yoshitomo Nara.

Approach

When she has a full understanding of her characters, Amandine sketches their expressions on in pencil or in Photoshop, then develops the composition, gathering references for the background, clothing and colour ways. The final work is executed and coloured in Photoshop, making it easy to amend for clients.

Key software

Photoshop.

Style

Amandine’s loose linework gives it a lively feel, with the quirkiness of her individual hand. Her work is full of wit, she loves making the viewer smile, and she uses depth in the scene for both dynamism and the opportunity to add detail to the narrative.

Languages

English, French.

Clients

Amandine’s clients include Cyber Group Studios, Space Cowboys, Wizkids, Editions D’Orbestier and more.

Impressions

Interview

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Interview

What led you to become an illustrator?I’ve always liked drawing, and art in general. When I left school, I knew I wanted to do something related to art. I studied Art History at university while also drawing and painting on the side. After graduating, I decided I wanted to take my drawing and painting further and enrolled at École Pivaut in Nantes, France. I still had no idea what I was going to do once that was done, it’s when I had to choose a speciality after the first year, that I discovered illustration.Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small town called Neuville de Poitou in France.Where do you live now and what drew you there? I live in East London. I moved here 15 years ago – my sister was living here already and I came to join her when I finished studying. At first, I worked in hospitality which helped me adapt and learn the language. Once I was settled, I decided to go back to illustration.Describe your studio for us I have a little desk with some shelves in my living room that I love! I filled it up with some of my favourite things – old pictures, antiques and lots of my daughter’s drawings. My dog has an armchair just near me and on the other side there is my husband’s workspace. Perfect spot really!Do you have a studio pet?Yes a dog called Penni. I love drawing her!Who or What is your biggest inspiration? I love taking cues from events in my daily life to create pictures, and I strongly believe that we draw best what we know best. These days it’s my young daughter and my dog Penni or any scene I see in the street that catches my attention.If you could collaborate with another artist or creative of any genre, living or dead, who would it be?I would love to work on the character development for an animated feature film – especially a traditional stop motion film from LAIKA studio in Portland, OR.What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?Going to an exhibition or a flea market.What's your most prized possession and why?George, a vintage puppet I found on a flea market in France.Do you collect anything? Antiques. I love old objects, picture books, or anything really that has a story. I have a passion especially for old boxes! My parents used to collect antiques and also worked on flea markets in Paris when I was growing up. They would take my sister and me with them. We would spend all day just looking around the different stands and buying random things with the little pocket money we had.What do you listen to when you work?I love listening to true crime podcasts while working or doing anything else for that matter!What's your favourite podcast?Casefile True Crime.Who is your art hero? There are a lot of them but I specially like the work of Jenny Saville.Who is your design hero?Hector Guimard. Who is your music hero?Edith Piaf.What is your favourite book?Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami.What is your favourite quote?"Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed" - Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier.What movie can you watch over and over?Instinct.What was the last exhibition you saw and loved?Yoshitomo Nara at Hayward Gallery in London.If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? I’ve always wanted to go to Berlin – this city has so much history and a great art scene.If you could only any eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?Sushi.If a client paid you enough money to take a year off and create whatever you want – an open brief - no constraints - what would you deliver?A Children’s book with my own story and my own illustrations!Is there a type of job you haven't done yet, but would love to do?I would really like to create illustrations for a kids magazine. When I was a kid I used to read this monthly magazine called J'aime Lire. The stories were great and I loved the illustrations. I have always dreamed of one day being commissioned by them.If you were not an illustrator, what would you be? I would love to be a model maker or prop stylist for stop motion animation films.What is the most challenging part of being an illustrator?For me, it’s selling and marketing yourself – figuring out the right way to showcase your work and getting it in front of the right people.What career advice would you give your younger self?To draw everyday, to not be afraid to make mistakes and to trust myself more. To be less afraid to go out there and try things. This a way you find what you like and what you are good at.